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CUC reduces OT to avert austerity
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is being very careful with its spending—including keeping overtime costs down—to avoid austerity measures that will cut employees’ work hours.
Acting CUC executive director William Gilmore said that CUC is currently doing well and is working with the staff to rely on flexible time schedules instead of overtime as the temporary measure so that they can reduce overtime costs.
Gilmore said they want to maintain the full 80-hour workweek as much as possible by doing anything they can to contain their spending at this time.
“The [employees] are being really supportive. It’s a team effort. …We don’t want to go into the austerity as much as we can,” he said.
CUC is also looking for new revenue opportunities.
Gilmore is encouraging customers to pay their bills on time because CUC has a job to maintain a 24-hour system.
“It’s not like a lot of agencies; we work 24 hours every day of the week,” he said.
In an interview last month, CUC executive director Gary P. Camacho said they would not be cutting employees’ work hours as part of a government-wide austerity plan but will still be implementing cost-cutting measures and will reevaluate its finances after 30 days.
CUC has over 400 employees on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.
Camacho said that CUC will continue to have full 80 work hours for 30 days. After that, Camacho said they are going to review and reevaluate their options and capability in making necessary adjustments.
Autonomous agencies like CUC, the Marianas Visitors Authority, and the Commonwealth Ports Authority can choose to follow or not the Torres administration’s austerity measures.
MVA started last June 23, cutting the work hours of their 36 employees from the regular 80 hours to 72. CPA has not adopted the austerity measures, but is cutting its operations due to reduced revenues.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres reduced the operation hours of offices under the Executive Branch starting last June 23, with agencies closing every payday Friday beginning last July 5.
